It’s always hot this time of year … but not quite this hot. You want to enjoy some fireworks and hot dogs, not worry about passing out, right? This epic heat wave that’s broiling much of the Midwest this week is spreading farther east, bringing the potential for record-breaking high temperatures to millions more people. And little relief is expected for much of the country going into the weekend.

Over 165 million Americans in the Midwest and East will be at risk of either "major" or "extreme" heat-related health issues, according to the National Weather Service. Triple-digit temperatures are being made worse by high levels of humidity, leading to oppressive heat index readings. Many emergency officials and meteorologists say the heat index (what temperature it feels like with humidity) is a more accurate measure of what it feels like outside than temperature alone.

What are they clocking in at? The forecasts were soaring to 104 degrees in Chicago, 109 in Detroit, 107 in Philadelphia, 108 in Washington, D.C., and 111 in Nashville, Tennessee. By later today, the heat index could reach 106 degrees in Boston, a scorching 111 degrees in New York, 110 in Washington, D.C., and 109 in St. Louis, Missouri.

According to Robert Rohde of Berkeley Earth, these freak weather events aren’t even that freakish anymore. As temperatures not only rise but do so more quickly, we should expect to see temperatures like those even more often. We might approach these high temperatures again within just a few weeks.

It’s a dangerous cycle. We crank up the AC. These extreme temperatures continue to threaten our already-strained electric grid as data centers are increasing energy demand. What could go wrong?

No past president has seen financial gains in office like those reported by President Donald Trump this week—not even Trump. As you might’ve seen in yesterday’s newsletter, the president’s income last year soared to more than $2.2 billion, fueled by cryptocurrency holdings and related ventures, according to his latest financial disclosure forms. The figures represent a vast expansion over his first term, when Trump reported still-significant income gains but on a smaller scale.

Trump reported making at least $440 million in 2019, driven primarily by his real estate businesses, according to financial disclosures released the following year. In 2024, before he retook office, he reported making over $600 million. But now, he’s dealing with vast holdings in cryptocurrency, other ventures (like branded bibles and watches), along with some questionable stock trades and some fairly massive lawsuit settlements.

Is anyone worried about conflicts of interest? “I found out that nobody cared,”Trump told The New York Times in January, revealing a remarkable indifference to making bank while running the country. However, as CNN points out, many Americans may not be feeling Trump’s economic “golden age” the same way he is, and that could be very problematic for his party come the midterms.

Sony has announced that from January 2028 it will entirely stop the production of physical discs for new PlayStation games. From that point onwards, new releases will only be available in digital versions from the PlayStation Store and other retailers. Games released before January 2028 will still be available on disc.

“This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” Sony said in its announcement. “This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.”

Ars Technica says that some gamers are now concerned about the future of game ownership. Digital copies of games can make it easier to quickly acquire and play games, receive updates, own many games without needing much physical space, and can help reduce waste. And the gaming industry has already mostly moved to this model. But buying a digital download is not the same as owning a game. Some might remember back in 2013, Valve pulled copies of Order of War: Challenger from customers’ libraries after the game’s servers shut down, rendering those copies useless.